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'Pregnant' male politicians lead Japan housework drive

Mon, Oct 03, 2016 - 4:31 PM

A trio of male Japanese politicians has gamely strapped on "pregnancy vests" that simulate swollen bellies in a lighthearted campaign for men to pick up the slack in a nation where women do most of the housework.

PHOTO: AFP

[TOKYO] A trio of male Japanese politicians has gamely strapped on "pregnancy vests" that simulate swollen bellies in a lighthearted campaign for men to pick up the slack in a nation where women do most of the housework.

The three governors of south-western prefectures are taking to the airwaves with the public awareness campaign that loosely translates as: "The governor is a pregnant woman".

Japanese men are not very helpful husbands when it comes to housework: they do just one hour of unpaid work daily compared to five hours for their wives, according to a 2014 study by the 35-nation Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

The three-minute spot, which started running last week, shows the hapless lawmakers being outfitted with seven kilogramme (16 pound) vests that mimic the belly of a woman who is about seven months pregnant.